EDUCATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7057, 19 February 1910, Page 8

EDUCATION

BIG HATCH OK IXSPI-'.CTOKS' OI'iMOXS. COXCLL'SIOX OF THE ,COX-X-'KHKNCE. A very larg;- ih;i-« of business was transact od by tlic- cnnl-renco of school i inspectors and principals of training colic;:'..-.,, which concluded yesterday, rh'i t.vllubus ivi's 'liscMis.sc.il in coin miftoe ii.t ;;rc:it h-ngth, -hut upon such details a K -did not Icn.l themselves to a report of Hernial interest. Air George Hug U-ii (InspecUir-General of Schools) presided. CIVIL ..SERVICE JUNIOR KXA.UINATIOX.'

The .rogula-.ions committee rccouiinoiidod .the adjpbion oi' Air liraik's motion: "That ibo optional subjects for Civil Service junior examinations I include domestic and "handwork subjects bo allow .technical and district 3wgh Kohool pupils taking those subjects to comipetc on even terms with candidates that do rwib take such subjects." UKGULATION AMKXORIENTS. Motions adopted upon th<> recoinmciidaition of the regulations oramirjittoc included the folh.-wi.ng: That, the minimum requirements for u Standard VI. certificate, of competency bo more explicitly Tint captation mi eh montary handwork l:e -ranted to the boards not 6n- clny, but by a grant based on the number of pupils taking the work as shown in the quarterly returns. (Mr Straohan). CO-OIMMXATTOX. That tho time has come for oo- • ordinatiug tho work of the .primary, secondary, and technical 'day fciiool.s. Adopted bv tho committee. (Air Hill). The. Inspector-General of Schools, speaking ta this motion, stated that, except in a ifo-iV schools, there wa.s but little overlapping iu tho X'ew Zealand education system. It had become fashionable in some quarters to smudge our own ucst.s, but. although imperfection* liad to be. wiped out it iwa-s not right to way wo did not possess ns well co-ordinated a .system a.s existed iu any part of tho world. 'That ho was able to say without fear of challenge SECOXIXUtY EDUCATION. Tho scholarships committee reported. regarding free places at secondary -and district high schools—• That it _is desirable that all pupils qualified to hold free places should bo supplied with a clear .statement as to the avenues of further education open to them. Immediately after a name of a pupil in Standard V. and Standard . VI. lias I>een removed from the roll of a primary school, the headmaster shall (forward to -tho director wf the local .technical school tho name of tho pupil and the name .nncl address of tiho parent or guardian, strah Information to %o on forms supplied 'by tho department. These motions were larlopted. TEACHERS' CERTIFTOATEB. Upon tho Tecommen'daiiion of the "regulations committee it was resolved-

That tho provisions contained in irogulation 2G 0 Certificate' examination, which enables a candidate to take the examination in tv.-o sections, be allowed in the case of the D examination. Ro report of sub-committee concerning two yeaTs' training in train, ing 'college ibaing regarded as satisfy, ing tlie rerruirements of class C certificate, the committee recommended that the proposal be- approved stfbjeefc to tho following conditions:—l. .That the student must liave duly qualified for admission in division A or division B. 2. That there be a scheme of two years' work for each student, the scheme- to be approved by the department, tflio work done by the student to bo iroportcd on by the principal—his report to be based «rc the results of -progress examinations. 3. That the principal's report m'ay bo deemed sufficient in itself, or if not regarded as -satisfactory the department should have the right to hold an examination on the linos -of the- approved course. APPRECIATION OF TUB "JOURNAL." It was decided upon the recommendation of the scholars!l«ips Committee— That this conference express its appreciation of the work of the "School Journ'al" a's furrirsfliing the pupils of our schools with interesting and instructive matter of a suitable character. During the discussion, of the syllabus high praise was given by a number' speakers to the editor of the "School Journal" for the capable manner in which that publication had been 'Conducted, It was suggested that if the programme for the year was outlined in advance, the "Journal's" articles colild '"be utilised to better advantage, but when the difficulties of carrying oivt continuous programmes and simultaneously attending to topical matter were explained, a motion in favour of rigidly adhering to a- programme in geography -was withdrawn. Mr * Wyllie (Southland) remarked that 'Criticism wna frioa'rd from people not in the schools, and this was liable to mislead members of Parliament and others,; so that the committeo thought it -desirable to draw the attention of the public to the fact that a body of experts considered the expondituro upon t'ho "School Journal" to bo mosit useful. (Applause). THE SYLLABUS. The conclusions of tho conference irt regard to tho school syllabus were os follow— That though the uso of suitable books for tho purpose of teaching geography and 'history should be encouraged, especially in tho upper classes, no course of instruction in these subjects bo considered -complete which docs not provide for a full share of mixed personal teaching. Canterbury. That from Standards IH. to VI., courses A, B, and tho 'alternative courso in geography bo fused into one complete compulsory course, and that instruction in the subject bo continuous throughout in tho 'classes Standard 111. to Standard VI. That theconrse of geography be divided into divisions for the various classes from Standard 111. to Standard VT.— Mr Braik. That courso in history and civics bo amended as was suggested sit tho matter of geography.—Mr Oriorson. That . a of the ;

work in arithmetic is desirablo with a view to an increase of the portion sat down for Standard 111.-Mr Strong. That the arithmetic now pre scribed for Standard V, be niada somewhat less extensive in scope. = —Mr Petrie. ; 'TEAiOHMRS' SUPERANNUATION. In rogard to teachers' superannuation, tho following remits from tho regulation committee were 'accepted— That legislation should be introduced to 'provide that contributors to teatihers' superann'uatioui fund who retired prior to October . 10th, I'JO3, and whoso allowances are lower than those provided under the Act of 1008 shall from tlio passing of an amending Act receive allowances calculated as j under tho Amendment Jict of 1903. That it is desirable that legisla. I tion should bo Introduced to enable those teachers who lhave hitherto found themselves unable to take advantage of the provisions of the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Amendment Act to beoome. within six months J

'subscribers under suitable conditions and bo entitled to the privileges of original members. The conference placed upon record its appreciation of the long and arduous services to education of Mr W. S. Fitzgorald, late inspector, Otago, and its good wishes upon bis retirement. Votes of thanks were accorded tho Inspector-General of Snhools for presiding, to the secretaries (Messrs J. S. Tonnant and T. H. Gill), the press and tho people of Wellington for their hospitality.